Plane



J. J. TOWER.

No. 379,346. Patented Mar. 13, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFrcE.

JOHN J. TOWER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PLANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,346, dated March13,1888. Application filed November 1, 1886. Serial No. 217,674. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. TOWER, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Planes, of whichthe following is a specification.

Bench planes are extensivelymanufactured with wooden handles fastenedinto a metal plate that is screwed upon the wooden body of the plane,and this plate extends forward of the handle and is provided withvertical flanges, between which the plane-iron is received. Difficultyhas heretofore been experienced in attaching the handle in such a mannerthat the same will not work loose when in use and so that the handle canbe disconnected with facility for packing or be rapidly and firmlyreplaced. I make use of a screw passing through the handle at aninclination to the plane, so as to strengthen the handle, and this screwenters the iron plate so as to clamp the handlethereto, and the bottomportion of the handle is extended forward and passes in between undercutlugs upon the iron plate, so that the weight of the plane when it islifted by the handle is partially taken upon the undercut lugs, and anytendency to bend the screw is prevented and the thrust upon the handlewhen the plane is in use is received jointly by the clamping-screw andthe undercut lugs.

In the drawings, Figure l is a section through the handle and part ofthe iron plate. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the plate and anelevavation of the handle; and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan below the line:10 m, Fig. 1.

The plate A is usually of iron and provided with side fianges,betweenwhich the plane-iron is received, and my improvement is available withplanes having a face formed of the iron plate; butI have shown the saidiron plate as fastened to a wooden base, B, forming the face of theplane- The handle 0 is of wood or similar material and of the desiredshape for being grasped by the hand. The long part of the handle isextended forward, as at E, and its edges are inclined inwardly.

Upon the plate A are straight parallel flanges having the lugs F, whichare in a po' sition adjacent to the forward part of the base of thehandle. These logs are undercut or dovetailed, which can be mostconveniently effected by a rotary cutter, so that the inner faces of thelugs correspond to the inclined sides of the bottom and forward part ofthe handle, and the handle is to be slipped in between the straightparallel flanges, and the for ward end passes below the said lugs.

There is a hole passing through the handle in a position diagonal to theplate A, and the screw H, having a countersunk head, is passed throughthis handle into athreaded hole in the plate A. By this means I am ableto firmly attach the handle to the plate and to allow for removing thehandle with facility for packing the plane or for replacing the handlewhen desired for use, and the handle is not weakened by any dovetailedgrooves on its edges.

In cases where a screw has been passed through the handle the weight andleverage of the plane tend to bend the screw, and when dovetailed ribson the iron plate have received the edges of the handle such edges havebeen grooved on a bevel and the handle weakened, and there is nothing toprevent the handle drawing back out from the ribs.

By my improvement the lugs F only pass over the forward lower end of thehandle, but they effectually hold this end from lifting. and with thescrew form a strong and reliable attachment.

If a screw were passed through the forward lower end of the handle, itwould not hold the parts as strongly and reliably as the dovetail lugs.

I claim as my invention- The combination, with the plane-handle and thescrew passing through the same, of a metal plate into which the screwpasses, and which plate has straight parallel flanges for receivingbetween them the lower part of the handle, a

